Shed-forming mechanism for looms



L. W. COUPE.

SHED FORMING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. I919.

I Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- p I M Will/49540 Ink/17 0177 law/6110a W4 Gau e, j m 4 3M JFWM L. W. COUPE.

SHED FORMING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-8.1919.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J/I/W/O/f Aaw/e/ra'e li Uaqe, 4 d SMWWM UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

LAWRENCE W. COUPE, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SHED-FORMING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

' Application filed February 8, 1919. Serial No. 275,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE WV. COUPE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New Bedford, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shed- Forming Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in shed forming mechanisms for looms and the principalobject thereof is to provide means fr1nsur1ng a smooth reciprocation of the harness irrespective of the amplitude of reciprocation which determines the width of the shed opening.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means whereby the amplitude of reciprocation of the harnesses may be adjusted tovary the shed opening without necessitating a change of the cams for operating the harnesses, which mechanism will keep the cam followers in touch with the cams thereby preventing sudden and jumping movements which are likely to cause breakage of the warp ends.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for maintaining the cam followers at all times in contact with the cams, for the purpose above specified, which may be readilyapplied to and operated upon the usual types 'of looms.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the coneluding claims.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view through a loom frame showing sufficient parts of the loom to illustrate my invention as lied thereto,

' Fig. 2 is a detail view showingmyinvention as applied to the lower harness bars of a loom and the levers for actuating the same, and,

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation showing the lower bars of a pair of harnesses, the levers andcams for operating them and the connections between said levers and said harnesses embodying my invention.

The invention is disclosed as applied to a usual type of Northrop loom comprising side frames 1-, having upwardly extending archbars 2 which carry the shaft 3 of the harness rolls 4:. Flexible straps 5 and 6 connected to the harness rolls 4 support, from the top, the front and rear harnesses 7 and 8 respectively so that as the harness rolls at are oscillated the harnesses 7 and 8 will be alternately raised and lowered. The harnesses 7 and 8 are provided with the usual heddles 9 and 10 through which the two sheets of warp ends 11 and 12 are carried and alternately crossed in the usual manner to form a shed through which the. shuttle is driven. v

The warp ends-11 and 12-run from the usual warp beam, not shown, over the whip roll13 across the usual lease rods 14, 15 thence through the heddles 9 and 10 and through the reed 16 upon the lay 17 which is carried by the swords 18, which are oscillated through the link 19 from a crank 20 on the crank shaft 21. The cloth 22 as it is w ven, is carried overthe take-up roll to my invention being suchthat it may be 'ap- 1 plied to the ordinary .loom structures.

. As illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing the harnesses are actuated through cams 23, 24 carried by a cam shaft 25 journaled in the loom sides and rotated in any convenie'nt manner. The cams 23 and .24 engage respectively cam following vrollers 26 and 27 carried by levers 28 and 29 which are fulcrumedupon a rod 30 supported by a bracket 31 which is carried by a girder 32 connecting the loom sides.

The levers 28 and 29 are provided at their ends with the usual series of notches 33, 3a which permit the adjustment of the means connecting .said levers to the harnesses to permit a greater or less reciprocating movement of the harnesses. The connecting means as illustrated herein comprises stir- -36 engaging respectively the.

rups '35,

34 in the levers 28, 29 and notches 3-3 and straps 37 and 38 passing through said stirsuch a manner that a small. shed opening may be made by the use of ordinary cams without the necessity of changing from large to small'cams. This is accomplished by providing means for introducing lost motion in the mechanism for actuating the harnesses so that the harnesses will have only a portion of their normal movements, and. by providing means which will prevent sudden movements or jerks when the actuating means becomes elfe'ctivaivhereby the harnesses will be given smooth reciprocating movement irrespective of the extent of their reciprocation.

"By thus providing means eliminating all jumping or jerking movements of the har nesses the shed opening may be adjusted without changing the cams so that cloth may be woven from fine yarns with high slay such as that employed for aeroplane cloth. Thus without danger ofwrap breakage and without the loss of time and expense required tochange the cams, an ordinary loom, with this invention, may have its shed opening adjustedsimplyand quickly to meeta wide range of requirements.

Any suitable means may be provided for prr-iventing lost motion in the actuating mechanism which reciprocates the harnesses within the spirit and scope of my invention. The preferred mechanism which is disclosed herein and which may be readily applied to usual looms, without the necessity of modi fying the structure of the loom, comprises one or preferably a pair of spiral, springs 43,44 connected at their lower ends to the stirrups 35, or 36 which engage the levers 28, 29 and at their upper ends to the stirrups 39, 40 which depend from the lower harness bars 41, 42. Y As illustrated herein the lower ends of the springs 43, 44 have their ends 45, 46 bent around the stirrup 35 or 36 and their upper ends 47., 48 connected to hooks 49, 50 which are'hooked over the horizontal bars 51, 52 of the stirrups 39 and 40. The springs 43, 44, desirably are arranged in pairs which may be conveniently located at the sides of the respective straps 37, 38. The springs 43, 44 desirably are of such strength as to retain the cam following rollers 26, 27 in contact with the cams 23 and 24 at all times,

When the positiveconnecting means, such as the straps, between the ends of the levers 28 and 29 and the harnesses are adjusted to narrow the shed opening it will be seen that unless means are provided to eliminate lost motion the cams 23 and 24 will only contact with the followers during a portion of the movement of the levers and duringthe' re maining portion of the movement the lovers will be free to remain out of contact with the cams.

enables a greater variety of work tobeper formed upon the same looms without replacement of parts or inconvenience, since to vary the width of shed opening it is merely necessary to adjust either the connections of the stirrups 35, 36 with the notches 33, 34 of thelevers 28, 29 or the-length of the straps 37, 38 which connect said levers with the harnesses, or both. r

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Shed forming mechanism for looms, comprising relatively movable harnesses, actuating means therefor, positive means for transmitting movement from said actuating means to said harnesses, having means of adjustment to introduce lost motion between said actuating means and said harnesses during a portion of the cycle of movement of said actuating means, whereby theamplitude of reciprocation of said harnesses may be varied and shed openings of different widths produced, and means for preventing sudden jerking movements of said harnesses when said actuating means effectively acts upon said positive transmitting means.

2; Shed V forming, mechanism for looms, comprising relatively movable harnesses, actuating means therefor, positive means for transmitting movement from said actuating means to said harnesses, having means of adjustment to introduce lost motion between said actuating means and said harnesses during a portion of the cycle of movement oi said actuating means, whereby the amplitude of reciprocation of said harnesses may be varied and shed openings of different widths produced, and resilient means intermediate of said actuating means and said harnesses acting to prevent sudden jerking movements when the actuating means acts With this invention appliedthe V springs or resilient connecting means :be-

effectively upon said positive transmitting means.

3. In a loom comprising a frame, a rotatable cam shaft and cams, a plurality of relatively movable harnesses, levers operable by said cams for reciprocating said harnesses and cooperating positive and resilient means connecting said levers to said harnesses, said positive means being operable to impart to said harnesses reciprocating movements of predetermined amplitude and said resilient means operating to maintain said levers in contact with said cams.

l. In a loom comprising a frame, a rota table cam shaft and cams, a plurality of relatively movable harnesses, levers operable by said cams for reciprocating said harnesses and cooperating positive and resilient means connecting said levers to said har- I nesses, said positive means being operable to impart to said harnesses reciprocating movements of predetermined amplitude and said resilient means operating to maintain said levers in contact with said cams and means for adjusting said positive connecting means whereby the Width of the opening in the shed may be varied.

5. In a loom comprising a frame a rota- I table cam shaft and cams, a pair of har nesses, supporting means including flexible members connected to the upper bars of said harnesses, means for alternately reciprocating said harnesses in opposite directions including levers engaging said cams, adjustto maintain said levers in contact with said cams.

6. In a loom comprising a frame, a rotatable cam shaft and earns, a pair of harnesses, supporting means including flexible members connecting the upper bars of said harnesses, means for alternately reciprocating said harnesses in opposite directions including levers engaging said cams, straps positively connecting said levers to the lower bars of said harnesses and'helical springs also connecting said levers to said harnesses operating to maintain said levers in engagement with said cams.

7. In a loom comprising a frame, a rotatable cam shaft and cams, a pair of harnesses, supporting means including flexible members connected to the upper -ends of said,

harnesses, means for alternately reciprocating said harnesses in opposite directions including levers engaging said cams, stirrups on saidlevers, adjustable straps connecting said lever stirrups to stirrups depending from said harness and helical springs also connecting said lever stirrups to said harness stirrups. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,

LAWRENCE WV. COUPE. 

